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Design and Analysis of a High-Powered Model Rocket

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This paper describes the design and analysis of a high-powered model rocket designed to use actively controlled canard fins for stabilization, a retromotor to slow its descent, and a compressed CO2 pressurization system to separate the upper and lower stages, releasing the main parachute. The airframe, custom nose cone, canards, and main fins were modeled using SOLIDWORKS. Aerodynamic loads on the vehicle airframe, canards, and main stabilizing fins were evaluated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools in Ansys Fluent. Results from the CFD analysis were used as inputs to a 6DOF dynamical simulation of the vehicle trajectory and attitude, written in MATLAB using an object-oriented structure. A proportional–integral–derivative controller was designed to control the canard stabilization fins in flight. The control software was tested using MATLAB and Simulink. Ansys Workbench was used for structural analysis of the airframe and main fins. An analysis of the composite motor was completed using Cantera and COMSOL to model the chemical equilibrium reaction and evaluate the temperature distribution in the motor during flight. These results were used to provide chamber conditions in a MATLAB model for ideal rocket performance. Results are presented from these analyses as well as a description of partial prototype construction completed at the subsystem level.

  • This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.
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  • 53766
  • E-project-032422-182053
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  • 2022
Date created
  • 2022-03-24
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